Dual bit memory cells are known in the art. One such memory cell is the NROM (nitride read only memory) cell 10, shown in FIG. 1A to which reference is now made, which stores two bits 12 and 14 in a nitride based layer 16, such as an oxide-nitride-oxide (ONO) stack, sandwiched between a polysilicon word line 18 and a channel 20. Channel 20 is defined by buried bit line diffusions 22 on each side which are isolated from word line 18 by a thermally grown oxide layer 26, grown after bit lines 22 are implanted. During oxide growth, bit lines 22 may diffuse sideways, expanding from the implantation area.
NROM cells are described in many patents, for example in U.S. Pat. No. 6,649,972, assigned to the common assignees of the present invention, whose disclosure is incorporated herein. As shown in FIG. 1B, to which reference is now briefly made, NROM technology employs a virtual-ground array architecture with a dense crisscrossing of word lines 18 and bit lines 22. Word lines 18 and bit lines 22 optimally can allow a 4-5 F2 size cell, where F designates the design rule (i.e. minimum size of an element) of the technology in which the array was constructed. For example, the design rule for a 70 nm technology is F=70 nm. However, most NROM technologies which use the more advanced processes of less than 170 nm employ a larger cell, of 5-6 F2, due to the side diffusion of the bit lines.
A common problem is the integrity of bit line oxides 26. As can be seen in FIG. 1A, they are thick in a middle 25 but shrink to an “oxide beak” 27 at the sides. In general, middles 25 are of good quality but beaks 27 are of poor quality, and thus are susceptible to breakdown. Moreover, the thickness of middles 25 is sensitive to the concentration of n+ doping at the surface of bit line 22 and is thus, difficult to control. In older generation technologies, the solution to this was high temperature oxidation. However, this causes substantial thermal drive, which increases the side diffusion of bit lines 22.
Another common problem is that the NROM manufacturing process is significantly different than the periphery CMOS manufacturing process but, to create a wafer with both CMOS and NROM elements, both processes are integrated together. This affects the characterization of the CMOS transistors.
The following patents and patent applications attempt to solve these issues and to improve scaling. US 2004/0157393 to Hwang describes a manufacturing process for a non-volatile memory cell of the SONOS type which attempts to reduce or minimize the undesirable effects of small dimension components. U.S. Pat. No. 6,686,242 B2 to Willer et al. describes an NROM cell that they claim can be implemented within a 4-5 F2 area U.S. Ser. No. 11/247,733, filed Oct. 11, 2005, assigned to the common assignees of the present invention, and US 2005/255651 to Qian et al. describe further processes for manufacturing NROM cells.
Each of the above patents and patent applications utilizes a dual poly process (DPP), where a first polysilicon layer is deposited in columns between which bit lines 22 are implanted. Word lines 18 are then deposited as a second polysilicon layer, cutting the columns of the first polysilicon layer into islands between bit lines 22. In most of the above patents and patent applications, to maximize the effective length Leff of the channel under the first polysilicon layer, spacers, such as of oxide or of nitride, are generated next to the first polysilicon layer and the bit lines are implanted into the reduced width openings. A thermal drive is then applied and the bit lines then diffuse outwardly, towards the first polysilicon columns.
Unfortunately, some of the bit lines occasionally do not reach the first polysilicon layer. Without the overlap between the bit lines and the first polysilicon, which acts as the gate for the memory cell, the cells do not work.